Polishing machine



March 1, 1932 D. E. MULHOLLAND POLISHING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10. 1929 4 Sheets-Shed. 1

j INVE\N+EI R March 1, 1932. 0. E. MULHOLLAND POLISHING msqmnw Filed Sept. 10, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN+DR Mafch l, 1932. MULHQLLAND 1,847,410 r POLISHING mkcrmm 4Sheets -Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 10. 1929 INVEN'HJRi March 1, 1932. D. E. MULHQLLAND 1,847,410

POLISHING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig 4 INVEN+URI QM 2. Ma 1 MCLM 611d. WQQL Patented Mar. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DAVID E. MULHOLLAND, or BURLINGTON, nnwmnsny, assrenon or 01mm 'ro WALTER S. MUIJHOLLAND, O F NORWICH, NEW YORK, ONE-THIRD 1'0 FREDERICK C.

LANGENBERG, OF EDGEWA'IER PARK, NEW JERsElfyAND ONE-THIRD TO HIMSELF romsnmo imormm Application filed September 10, 1929. Serial No. 391,609.

\ This invention relates to machines for' polishing the surfaces of thin metal plates and is particularly adapted for polishing the surfaces of plates of stainless steel.

Heretofore, it has been impossible to obtain a polished finish of uniform quality upon Y the surface of metal plates without practically a prohibitive expense. I have discovered that this lack of uniformity of finish has been due to one or more of a number of conditions affecting the quality of the finish of the polished surface, namely, (1) the lack of a proper support for the plate being polished (2) to the polishing medium and the manner of its app ication to the face of the plate;

and (3) to the lack of sufficient smoothness in the passage of the plate against the. polishing medium. I

It is the object of the present invention to provide a machine which is particularly adapted for polishing the surfaces of metal plates, particularly stainless steel, which improves each and all of the above conditions and makes possible the olishing of such sur- '25 faces in a highly satis actory manner at an extremely low cost.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational viewof the same;

S .3 be understood-thatthe phr'aseology or ter- Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken upon the minology employed herein is for the purpose of descrlption and not of limitation, and it-is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms of the several claims hereto appendedas considered in view of the prior art and the requirements thereof.

A machineillustratin one embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings and comprises side frame members 10 connected by a lower cross member 11 and an upper cross member or plate 12. A work supporting member 15 is suitably secured to the lower cross member 11 as by bolts 16. The member 15 is provided with upwardly extending projections 17 having guideways 18 formed therein to receive blocks 19 forming a part of the roll supporting frame-20 which is provided'with suitable bearings for rotatably supporting spaced rolls 21. A relatively small work supporting roll 22 is rotatably mounted in blocks 23 slidably guided in ways 24 inthe frame member 20. The frame-20 is adjustably and yieldably supported in any suitable manner and, as illustrated, isprovidedwith depending lugs 30 each of which is centrally positioned upon a diaphra m 31 extending over each of a plurality of fl uid pressure chambers 32 which are supplied with suitable fluid under pressure through the conduits 33 and 34. The arrangement, preferably, is such that the work supporting roll 22 is positioned above the normal plane of travel of the work W upon a work guide table 36. 1

A suitable frame preferably of triangular shape is pivotally connected near one of its apexes to a shaft 41 extending downwar'dly from the top cross member 12. An arm 42 depends downwardly from each of the other apexes of the triangular shaped frame 40 directly above the roll 22 and each is provided with hearings in which a shaft 44 is rotatably mounted. A suitable polishing wheel 45 is built up: and mounted u on the shaft 44. Preferably, the polishing w eel 45 comprises a plurality of units 46 each comprising a plurality of disks of sheet material, such as muslin, the peripheries of which are coated with suitable abrasive. The units 46 are separated by relatively thin spacing units 47 in order to provide a certain amount of flexibility to the polishing wheel. Suitable mechanism is provided for oscillating the shaft 44 carrying the polishing Wheel 45 to move the axis of the latter between extreme positions angularly disposed with respect to the axis of the roll 22. A suitable mechanism for this purpose may comprise a stud extending upwardly from the frame 40 through an opening 51 in the frame member 12. One end of an arm 52 is pivotally mounted upon the stud 50 and its other end is provided with a cylindrical opening adapted to receive a pin 53 eccentrically mounted on a shaft 54 mounted for rotation in suitable bearings 55 carried by a bracket 49 on the frame member 12. A worm wheel 56 is fixed upon the shaft 54 and is adapted for engagement with a worm 57 mounted upon the armature shaft of a motor 58.

In accordance with the invention the work W is drawn between the polishing wheel 45 and the supporting roll 22 at a controlled rate depending upon the type of material being polished and the result desired. For this purpose, a cylinder 60 is suitably mounted upon a table 61 and is adapted to receive asuitable piston (not shown) connected with a piston rod 62 and which is moved within the cylinder by hydraulic pressure. The rate of movement of the piston rod 62 is controlled by a suitable variable delivery hydraulic pump 64 of any well known construction which can be adjusted to vary and control the rate and pressure of delivery of fluid to the cylinder 60. The pump 64 is connected with opposite ends of the cylinder 60 by fluid conduits 65 and 66.

The table 61 is pivotally supported at one end to turn about a stud 67 upon a suitable support 68 and is movably supported at its other end and at an intermediate point upon suitable supports 70' and 71 respectively. The

* outer end of the piston rod 62 is provided with a clamping block 73 adapted to receive a shaft 74 for rotation therein. The lower end of the shaft 74 is provided with a roll 75 adapted to be received in suitable guides 77 secured upon mthe table 61. The end of the work W is clamped to the block 73 by a clamping plate 78 held thereagainst by bolts 79. The clampin one of the guide members 77 and .is provided atits end with a camv face 82 adapted for -engagement with the ""roll 7 5.

1 bracket 83 is suitably secured as by bolts 85 :uponthe support 70 and is adapted to pass A similar throughan opening86 in the opposite guide member 7 7.-and is-pri'ovided with acam face 87' adaptediforiengagement with the roll 7 5'.

The polishing wheel 45 is rotated bypower supplied fromamotor 90 provided with a the roll 22 with a protecting sheet of material, such as wall board, interposed therebetween. The sheet or plate W then is clamped between the clamping block 73 and the clamping plate 78. The pressure within the chambers 32 is adjusted so that the work support: ing roll 22 will hold the work W against the polishing wheel with a pressure suitable for the particular results desired. The piston rod 62 is then moved back and forth at a controlled rate to move the Work W between the roll 22 and the polishing wheel 45, the work being guided upon the guide table 36. It will be noted that the work supporting roll 22 is positioned at an elevation above the plane of the guide table 36 and above the plane of movement of the guide block 7 3 so as to cause the work to pass between the roll 22 and the polishing wheel 45 in a curved path and thereby reduce the area of contact between the work and the polishing wheel and consequently lessen the heat developed and prevent warping of the sheet being polished. The work supporting roll 22 presses the work W against the polishing wheel 45 with a pressure which is controlled by changing the pressure of the fluid Within the chambers 32.

As the work W is moved back and forth between the polishing wheel 45 and the work supporting roll 22, the motor 58 causes the arm 52 to move axially and thereby oscillate the frame 40 about the shaft 41. In this manner the shaft 44 carrying the polishing wheel 45 is oscillated between extreme positions angularly disposed upon opposite sides of the vertical plane of the axis of the work supporting roll 22 thereby freeing the polishing wheel of the material removed during the polishing operation and preventing clogging of the grit. As the piston 62 moves to its extreme position in one direction, the cam face 87 engages the roll Y75 and moves the frame 61 about its pivot upon the support v68 thereby moving the work W bodily so that its axis is angularly disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the machine. As the piston rod 62 moves in the opposite direction the work passes between the wheel 45 and roll 22 in this angularly disposed position. When the piston 62 reaches its other extreme position, t e roll 75 engages the cam face 82 and moves the table 61 about its pivot upon the support 68 sothat the axis of the work W is 'angularly disposed in the opposite 1. In a machine for polishing metal plates,

a rotatable flexible polishing wheel, a support for holding a metal plate in engagement with said wheel, means for feeding said plate between said wheel and support, and means for oscillating theaxis of said wheel between extreme positions angularly disposed with respect to the axis of said support.

2. In a machine for polishing metal plates, a rotatable polishing wheel, a support for holding a' metal plate in engagement with said wheel, means for oscillating the axis of said wheel between extreme positions angularly'disposed with respect to the axis of said support, a feeding element for moving said plate longitudinally between said support and wheel, and means for changing the angular position of said plate immediately preceding each passage of said plate between said wheel and support.

3. In a machine for polishing metal plates, a rotatable polishing wheel, a support for holding a metal plate in engagement with said wheel, means for feeding said plate in a curved path between said support and wheel, and means for oscillating the axis of said wheel between said 'extreme positions angu- 'larly disposed with respect to the axis of said support. Q

4. In a machine for polishing metal plates, a rotatable polishing wheel, a support for holding a metal plate in engagement with said wheel, means for feeding said plate in a curved path between said support and wheel, means for oscillating the axis of said wheel between said extreme positions angularly disposed with respect to the axis of said support, and means for controlling the rate of feed of said plate between said wheel and support. 5. In a machine for polishing metal plates, a rotatable polishing wheel, a support for holding a metal plate in. engagement with said wheel, means for moving said plate longitudinally between said support and wheel, means for causing said plate to pass between said support and wheel in a curved path, and means for changing the angular position of said plate immediately preceding eachpassage thereof between said wheel and support.

6. In a machine for polishing metal plates, a rotatable polishing wheel, a floating support for holding a metal plate in engagement with said wheel, means foroscillating the axis ofsaid wheel between extreme positions angularly disposed with respect to the axis of said support, a feeding'element for moving said plate longitudinally between, said support and wheel, and means for changing the angular position of said plate immediately preceding. eachpassage thereof between said wheel and support, said wheel being flexible and having a length not less than the width of said plate. 7 i

7. In a machine for polishing metal plates,

a rotatable polishing wheel, a floating support for holding a metal plate in engagement with said wheel, means for feeding said plate in a curved path between said support and Wheel, and means for oscillating the axis of said wheel between said extreme positions angularly disposed with respect to the axis of said support, said wheel being flexible and having a length not less than the width of saidplate.

8. In a machine for polishing metal plates, a rotatable polishing wheel, a floating support for holding a metal plate in engagement with said wheel, means for feedin said plate in a curved path between sai support and wheel, means for oscillating the axis of said wheel between said extreme positions angularly disposedwith respect to the axis of said sup ort, and means for controlling the rate of eed of said plate between said wheel and support, said wheel being flexible and having a length not less than the width of said plate. 9. In a machine for polishing metal plates,

a rotatable.polishing wheel, a floating support for holding a metal plate in engagement with said wheel, means for moving said plate longitudinally back and forth between said support and wheel, means for causing said late to pass between said support and'wheel in a curved path, and means for changing the angular position of said plate immediately precedingeach passage thereof between said wheel and support, said wheel being flexible and having a length not less than the width of said plate.

10. In a machine for polishing metal plates, a rotatable polishing wheel, a support for holding a metal plate in engagement with said wheel, means for feeding said plate between said wheel and support at a controlled rate, means for causing said plate to pass between said support and wheel'in a curved path, means for oscillating the axis of said wheel between extreme positions angularly disposed with respect to the axis of said support, and means for changing the angular position of said plate immediately preceding-each passage thereof between said wheel and support.

'11. In a machine for polishing sheet metal, a rotatable polishing wheel, means for causing the sheet to move longitudinally in a given direction in engagement with said wheel, means for oscillating said wheel while in engagement with said sheet, and means for periodically changing the relative angular relation between the medial position of said wheel and the direction of movement of the sheet.

12. In a machine for polishing sheet metal, a rotatable-polishing wheel, means for causing the sheet to move longitudinally in a given direction past said wheel, a support for holding the sheet in engagement with the wheel, means for causing the sheet to bend in the region of contact with the wheel, and means for periodically changing the relative angular relation between the wheel and the direction of movement of the sheet.

13. In a machine for polishing sheet metal, a rotatable polishing wheel, means forcausing the sheet to move longitudinally in a given direction past said wheel, a support for holding the sheet in engagement with the wheel, means for causing the sheet to bend in the region of contact with the wheel, means for oscillating the wheel while in engagement with the sheet, and means for periodically changing the relative angular relation between the medial position of said wheel and the direction of movement of the sheet.

14. In a machine for polishing sheet metal, a rotatable polishing wheel, a roll for hblding the sheet in engagement with said wheel, and a support for said roll comprising a pair of rotatable members adapted to engage said roll throughout substantially its entire length. 15. In a machine for polishing metal plates, a rotatable flexible polishing wheel, a

movable support adapted to hold said sheet in engagement with said wheel, controllable I pressure means for urging said support toward said wheel, means for causing the sheet to move longitudinally between said 'wheel and support and means for oscillating the axis of said wheel between extreme positions angularly disposed with respect to the axis of said support.

16. In a machine for polishing sheet metal, a rotatable polishing wheel, a roller support for holding, a narrow transverse area of the sheet against the periphery of i said wheel, means for controlling the pres sure of said support upon the sheet, and

means for oscillating the wheel about a point outside of said 'wheel. 1

17. In a machine for polishing sheet metal, a rotatable polishing wheel, a roller support for holding a narrow transverse area of the'sheetagainst the peri hery of said wheel, means'for controlling e pressure of said support upon the sheet, means for oscillating the wheel about a point outslde of said wheel and means for crossing the markings of said wheel upon said sheet.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' DAVID E; 

